Raleigh, N.C. — Analysis: MetLife's decision to bring 2,600 jobs is good news for North Carolina and shows the power of the state's two "racehorse regions" - the Triangle and Charlotte, says NCSU economist Dr. Michael Walden....

It also shows that no governor can resist throwing taxpayer money into the maws of a marquee business, then go around bragging that they brought said marquee business to North Carolina. What kind of North Carolina payroll must MetLife make to offset this mother of all incentives? Will it? For how long? And which North Carolinians will MetLife recruit for the job? The best openings will likely draw current workers of employers already here and paying their taxes fair and square. Nothing wrong when labor gets its wages bid up by fresh competition, of course. But if you make this kind of prospect a credible threat, no new employer will ever set up shop here without similar help, nor will current employers stay without it. Where will the government turn to fund it then?